2012 NFL Mock Draft: Where Will Justin Blackmon and Top WRs Land?

One of the most important things for a young quarterback to have, along with a sturdy offensive line, is a true No. 1 receiver that can cause matchup problems for the opposing defense.

The top three wide receiver prospects in next season's NFL draft are Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery and Notre Dame's Michael Floyd. Each of them will likely be given to opportunity to fill a void by jumping into an NFL starting lineup next season.

So, where will they land? Let's examine.

Justin Blackmon: St. Louis Rams at No. 3

Blackmon has caught 53 passes for 608 yards and seven touchdowns through the first half of his junior campaign and is the general consensus top receiver available. His physical tools have made him virtually impossible to stop for college-level cornerbacks.

He won the Biletnikoff Award last season as the nation's top wideout and is one of the top contenders for the award in 2011. He would become just the second receiver to win the honor twice (Michael Crabtree) after joining the likes of Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald last season.

The Rams just traded for Brandon Lloyd to give quarterback Sam Bradford some support, but he's a free agent at season's end and there's no guarantee he'll return. And if he does, adding Blackmon would upgrade Bradford's weapons from sub par to above average, which will help him out big time.

Alshon Jeffery: Minnesota Vikings at No. 7

While Jeffery hasn't put up the eye-popping numbers of Blackmon, that's more due to the unsettled QB position at South Carolina than his ability. The junior has 30 catches for 451 yards and five touchdowns through seven games.

He's got great size at 6'4'', 230 pounds and will be an awesome red-zone target for whichever team selects him in April. Another trait that teams will love is Jeffery's durability. He hasn't missed any playing time since his freshman season.

Durability is a word that's music to the Viking coaching staff's ears. They've had to deal with Percy Harvin's persistent migraine problems since he was drafted. With Christian Ponder taking the reigns, he could use a more consistent weapon at wide receiver.

Michael Floyd: Cleveland Browns at No. 14

Floyd will have to battle Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles to be the third receiver taken in April, but he's got a leg up on Landry Jones' main man right now. He's reeled in 53 passes for 639 yards and four touchdowns for the rejuvenated Irish.

Unlike the other two guys on this list, Floyd is a senior and will definitely be in the draft. Spending his first two seasons behind Golden Tate allowed him to become a better route runner without having the pressure to come up huge every week.

Colt McCoy's numbers have been less than impressive through 13 games, but that's due to an undermanned receiving corps. Greg Little has shown some promise in recent weeks and Floyd would give him a solid one-two punch so Cleveland can better understand what they have in McCoy.

Note: Draft order is a combination of current records and expected performance.

No.	Team	Player, Pos.
1.	Indianapolis Colts	Andrew Luck, QB
2.	Miami Dolphins	Quinton Coples, DE
3.	St. Louis Rams	Justin Blackmon, WR
4.	Denver Broncos	Matt Barkley, QB
5.	Carolina Panthers	Matt Kalil, OT
6.	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jonathan Martin, OT
7.	Minnesota Vikings	Alshon Jeffery, WR
8.	Arizona Cardinals	Dre Kirkpatrick, CB
9.	Kansas City Chiefs	Riley Reiff, OT
10.	Seattle Seahawks	Landry Jones, QB
11.	Cleveland Browns	Vontaze Burfict, LB
12.	Philadelphia Eagles	Luke Kuechly, LB
13.	Chicago Bears	Morris Claiborne, CB
14.	Cleveland Browns (via Falcons)	Michael Floyd, WR
15.	Cincinnati Bengals	Trent Richardson, RB
16.	New York Jets	Brandon Jenkins, LB
17.	Tennessee Titans	Stephon Gilmore, CB
18.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Courtney Upshaw, DE
19.	Dallas Cowboys	Manti Te'o, LB
20.	Cincinnati Bengals (via Raiders)	Jerel Worthy, DT
21.	Houston Texans	Jayron Hosley, CB
22.	San Francisco 49ers	Zach Brown, LB
23.	Washington Redskins	Mike Brewster, C
24.	New York Giants	Cliff Harris, CB
25.	Buffalo Bills	Alfonzo Dennard, CB
26.	Pittsburgh Steelers	Andrew Datko, OT
27.	Baltimore Ravens	David DeCastro, OG
28.	New England Patriots (via Saints)	Jared Crick, DT
29.	San Diego Chargers	Alameda Ta'amu, NT
30.	Detroit Lions	Ryan Broyles, WR
31.	New England Patriots	Chase Minnifield, CB
32.	Green Bay Packers	Mark Barron, S